Business Dispute Attorneys in North Haven, Connecticut

Starting your own company and managing the day-to-day details of running it is hard enough on its own. When you eventually have to deal with a business dispute, it’s in your best interest to work with an attorney so that it’s handled correctly and doesn’t add another stressor to your plate. 

For help with a partnership dispute, employment dispute, or any contract dispute, team up with our business attorneys at the DeChello Law Firm LLC. We pride ourselves on offering personalized service for all our clients and helping them achieve practical outcomes no matter what problem they’re facing. If you’re in North Haven, Connecticut, or anywhere throughout New Haven County, we’re here to help. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation. 

Common Causes of Business Disputes

At some point in your business venture, you’ll have to negotiate a dispute between an employee, partner, contractor, or supplier. Some of these you may be able to resolve on your own while others will likely need the assistance of an attorney.  

One common issue you may face is an employment dispute, which may center around:  

• a disagreement about wages,  

• wrongful termination,  

• a harassment or discrimination allegation, or  

• a severance agreement.  

Alternatively, your business may be involved in a dispute with another business. This could come up if you were working together and disagreed on a contract, but it may also occur if another business viewed your actions as being deceptive and therefore hurting their standing in the free market.  

Another common issue we regularly deal with is contract disputes. These can have many root causes, such as disagreement about the interpretation of a clause or one party withholding information from or misleading the other.  

Lastly, you may be dealing with a partnership dispute, which can be caused by one partner wanting to leave the company, one partner disputing the way profits are divided, or a disagreement about what direction to go with the business.  

Our skilled litigators are well-versed in handling a variety of business and commercial disputes. Contact us today to get started on a solution that protects your business and suits your objectives.

Contract Disputes

Contract disputes are by far the most common business disputes we handle because every business agreement is rooted in one. Some common contract cases include:  

• a breach of contract,  

• a commercial lease dispute,  

• non-compete and non-disclosure agreements, and  

• a dispute over a sale of goods.  

Perhaps the most ubiquitous business issue is a breach of contract because contracts are used extensively whether it’s between an employer and employee, a business and a private contractor, a supplier and a vendor, or a company and a consumer. The dispute may stem from questioning the existence of a contract altogether, or one party failing to carry out a duty or provision of the contract as originally laid out. More often than not, the other party will suffer damages because of this breach and will then try to file a lawsuit to receive compensation.  

For example, let’s say you contracted with a construction company to build a new location for your retail business, but they failed to complete the work on time. You could potentially lose money and future business if you’d already advertised and promised customers that the expansion to the new location would be ready by a certain date. In this case, if you’re unable to come to a resolution with the builder about how to remedy the situation, your next step should be to seek the help of an attorney to pursue a lawsuit.

Resolving a Dispute 

There are three main options for resolving a business dispute if you and the other party can’t come to an agreement on your own.  

1. The first is mediation. This is usually the most cost-effective method. During mediation, an unbiased and impartial third party will facilitate a conversation between the two parties with the intention of helping them come to a mutually agreed-upon decision. Importantly, the mediator themself doesn’t offer their opinion or make a decision.  

2. Another option is called arbitration. Arbitration is similar to meditation in that a neutral, third party (or in some cases, a panel of people) will listen to each side’s perspective on the issue at hand and then make a decision based on their interpretation of the facts. An arbitrator is typically a person chosen by both parties and has no vested interest in the outcome. There may even be an arbitration clause written into the contract that will set our guidelines for how disputes like this will be handled.  

3. The last option is dissolution. In most cases, this should be a last-resort decision after you’ve attempted to resolve things through mediation or arbitration. Only when you’ve thoroughly exhausted all your other options should you consider formally dissolving your business agreement or partnership.